


The Legend of Zelda: A Courageous Voice

by I_Only_Have_Trash



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Baby Link - Freeform, Link can speak, but possibly reincarnated as usual for LoZ, but still set in the same world, deku scrubs should have been added to botw btw, everything is rebuilt, ganondad, link can also sing, no one from the game is alive now, occasional posting, plus some other elements, set a few centuries after the events of botw, set in the world of botw, tags will be added as i go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-01
Updated: 2020-06-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 22:28:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,505
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23954605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/I_Only_Have_Trash/pseuds/I_Only_Have_Trash
Summary: Ganondorf is the first of the three Triforce wielders to be born. The other two were no-where to be heard of. The new reincarnation of Zelda hasn't been born yet, and Link... well, he could have been anyone, and anywhere. But Thirty-four years after his birth, neither of the other two have shown. He understands, he was always older than them, it seems.And he understands the hatred from his role too. He accepted the anger, the prophecy, everything. It was just a race against time before he'd be defeated by the courageous hero. But he did forget about it after a while. Until one day...Let's see how my first fanfic goes.
Comments: 21
Kudos: 95





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Don't hit cuckoos

Today was burning by 12 o'clock. With Ganondorf came his small group of Gerudo guards. Of course, they knew this desert like the back of their hands, but that did not stop them from searching for new areas to map. The desert was notoriously vast; it would surely take days— going back and forth, back and forth— to chart it all down. They faced mirages they believed were oases and ignored oases they were sure were mirages.

Needless to say, Ganondorf was getting antsy. About how far the sand goes. About if this wasteland truly ends. About when they would drop off the end of the world. But it was work. The cartography was one of the only things keeping the Gerudos and Hylians in contact with each other. That and trade. They do love their gems.

It was becoming the end of today. The desert cooled bit by bit, starting at 6 when the sun finally started to set. Ganondorf and his crew we're back by 8. The aromas of good food enticed his nose. The town lights dazzled in his eyes. And the feeling of home-sweet-home warmed his heart. 

The Gerudo women guarding the town bowed their heads to their king as he passed by them. Mothers called their girls to come inside for bed. As they passed by Ganondorf, he gifted them a lazy grin, ready to sleep himself. He slumped off his horse, and his true height had shown once again.

Gerudos were practically giants to Hylians, or maybe Hylians were just short in a world of normal-sized races. But Ganondorf, he was definitely a giant. Towering over everyone, his own subjects, and the rest of the five kingdoms, Ganondorf was asked quite a few times how the weather was "up there". 

He gestured tiredly as he ordered his crew to unpack and head in for the night. He yawned as he announced a day off. And as his crew cheered excitedly in celebration, the King stumbled half-awake into his palace.

An open castle, adorned in colorful cloths. Bedazzled with rare jewels and lined intricately with gold leaf. He stretched as his servants pulled his sanguine cloak from his back. Rolled his neck as they freed him from his breastplate. Slipped off his gauntlets and boots carelessly as he meandered his way up the stairs.

His bed a few steps away. And as much as he would love to crash right on top of it and drift off, he'd rather not wake up more sore from work and metal. So with the last of his energy, he managed to slip into some more comfortable garments. And laid his head down onto his bed. 'All in a day's work', Ganondorf mused, 'finally, I can get some rest.'

… Or so he thought.

A Gerudo merchant came charging into the town. She cradled a bundle close to her as she ran, huffing. Other merchants, just closing up shop for the night noticed how different it was compared to the rest of her parcels. She called desperately for the king: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty!" Once she reached the entrance to the palace, she was promptly halted by the guards. "Please, I need to show this to King Ganondorf!" she cried desperately.

"If you have something so urgent that you believe the king must hear of it, either reevaluate your problem or explain it to us first." The left guard spoke. The clarity and sharpness in her voice clearly intimidated the merchant.

The right guard chimed in, "If it is important enough, the best we may do is schedule for you to meet with him tomorrow." The merchant but her lip in nervousness. "Well? If it's so important, speak!"

“The oasis, near the Bazaar, I found this—” she pulled back the cloth bundle and the guards leaned in “—a baby.” They were in awe behind their headdresses. Small and sound, cradled within the merchant's arms, it slept.

A little infant, covered in a blanket just a few shades lighter than its skin. Its hair tufts a bright blonde. And its chubby left hand is barely visible enough to show a dim, triangular, glow. “It’s a Hylian,” the merchant said. I’m sure it was abandoned, I asked everyone there, and none of them know whose it is.” The left guard pulled the baby’s hand out from under the blanket to examine the glow. “I possibly wouldn’t have wanted to bring it to the King’s attention if it weren’t for that.” The merchant said, referring to the glow.

The guard turned to each other and nodded. As the right guard left inside, the left guard ordered the merchant to stay outside.

It seemed as though Ganondorf was a deep sleeper. The guard’s few shakes and whispers for his name were not enough to wake the giant. She finally asked for forgiveness in advance before using all her strength to knock him awake. With a strong thump to his stomach, Ganondorf woke surprised. He was understandably annoyed but quelled his anger to let the guard explain herself.  
“We may have found a wielder of the Triforce,” she explained quickly.

“Bring them to me,” he ordered wearily. He was skeptical. Sure, it was not every day that a claim such as this was heard, but it was still a bit eyebrow-raising. But when the guard came back with a baby, his emotions were extremely mixed. On one hand, he was very skeptical and unsure about this child being connected to the Triforce. But on the other hand, he couldn’t deny his interest.

The baby was still swaddled. And its eyes were now opened. Gently, Ganondorf held the child, taking in its features. Its little bit of hair, and big blue eyes; those curious blue eyes that stared right back into the King’s. It reached out with its left hand, now glowing brighter and warmer in Ganondorf’s presence. He understood who this was because the other would have been born in Hyrule Castle.

Ganondorf, evil reincarnated, was cradling his arch-nemesis, Link.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new birthday, and a heart-to-heart between kings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not gonna lie, this took so long because I forget that there are enough royals in the world to hold conversations with each other. Royals are like a dying breed of human.

Today was a glorious day. A day to celebrate. Oh how wonderful, a new baby! But not Link, no. And not much of a wonderful day to Ganondorf either. All the way in Hyrule Castle, the Triforce of Wisdom gleamed brightly on baby Zelda’s hand. The king and queen were overjoyed. Their beautiful baby girl would go down in history as one of many other Zeldas.

Even Ganondorf was invited to see her. He wasn’t particularly elated; not dreading the situation either. There was that initial drop of the heart, though. The feeling of realizing that his fate was finally sealed and that the clock was ticking. He took his time on his way to the castle to calm his nerves and come to terms with what her birth meant. By the time he arrived, he was fine.

And no, he hadn’t brought Link. In all honesty, he had no idea what to do with him.

All the ambassadors, from the Zora to the Gorons, to the Rito, and the Gerudo king himself were invited to gather around the cradle to see the princess. Ganondorf arched himself over the simple white crib and gazed upon the giggling newborn fondly. 

Other than that moment, Ganondorf had been absent-minded during his visit. But it wasn’t until dining with the king when he was confronted for his behavior. ‘Ganon,” the King called, “you’ve been losing interest in a lot of our conversations. Getting tired already?”

Ganondorf hummed, “It is quite a trek from Gerudo Town to Hyrule Castle.” That statement was received by a small amused huff from the king. “But, no, Your Majesty. I’m not tired. I’ve just had much to think about.”

“And that would be?”

“Simple worries stacking up.” He gestured that he was finished dining. “I’m sure you may have worries too? Now that the Triforce of Wisdom has appeared, your worries may be much bigger than mine!” Ganondorf stood up, noticing the Hyrulian king had finished his meal as well. As their eyes met, Ganondorf changed his tune into something more grim, “Let us talk about them.”

The king obliged and led Ganondorf down a hallway. Both of them rathered talking their concerns away in the comfort of absolute privacy. So the two opted to sit down in a small study. They stepped in, opened the curtains to let in light, and sat down at two opposing chairs.

“I suppose we are thinking about the same thing, Ganondorf?” The king asked.

He was silent at first, taking in the atmosphere. With an inhale he responded: “You know my predecessors. You think that we are evil and—we may be." The king raised an eyebrow at this admission. "But, that is only my speculation; my speculation of what was written on my past selves. I have no doubt that what they did was truly something to be slain over."

"Perhaps we were not thinking of the same thing—"

"Do let me finish, Daphne! I promise I am getting to the point."

The King gestured lazily, "Go on."

"It does force me into states of introspection. I wonder how long I have until I turn into a horrid beast or a wicked man. I wonder if no matter what I do, I'll be slain by the Hero because I turned into a monster that's worth fearing. And with Zelda's birth, it seems like the clock has finally begun to tick. All we're waiting for is the hero of courage."

"And as we both know, that could be anyone." The King added.

"Exactly. But I want to say this, Your Majesty: I do not feel comfortable with what the future holds. I do not want to hurt the Princess, nor do I want to fight the Hero. If it were up to me, I would only want to run my kingdom in peace. I hold enough power there and do not want anymore. King Daphne, I assure you, that I want to be your friend. But I know and understand that one day, I will most likely harm you."

The King was silent. Certainly, he had gotten to the point. And yes, he was worried about Ganondorf's future. He hadn't expected this, though. "Of course, King Ganondorf, I understand. I agree with you even. I know you don't want to harm me, even though you may one day. But no matter what, we must be enemies. Those were always the roles we were meant to play. We can not change this, and you can not change your descent into degeneracy. And therefore, we may never be allies."

On the way home, Ganondorf reflected on his conversation. He sort of knew the Hyrulian king was going to say what he said. And he believed the King would have said even worse if he knew that the Hero was already born.

Oh, what was he going to do with the infant? What was he going to do with Link?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ganondorf x existential dread is my favorite ship, by the way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A short contemplation over what to do next.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love Zelda but hate fantasy names.

If he truly wanted, he could make this devastating for Hyrule. His custody over Link could possibly lead to his rule over all of the kingdom. He could raise what was supposed to be Good’s greatest asset into its worst enemy. But, what would be the odds?

Ganondorf opened the door to the newly-made nursery. It was shaded with light green and purple flax cloths and cooled with fresh-flowing water. In the middle of the room sat the cot baby Link laid in, which was built to rock so he can be eased to sleep better. Once noticed, the nurse that was just tending to Link stepped out of the way so Ganondorf could see him. He plucked the baby out of the cot and sat in a nearby chair with him—holding him in a way that prompted the nurse to scold the king before correcting him of the proper way to hold a baby.

Link was pale compared to many Gerudos. And even with those who were lighter-skinned, who had a similar complexion to him, still had the genetics to survive well in the smoldering desert. As a Hylian, he had no such genetics. So he had to be constantly wrapped head-to-toe in a swaddle when he was outside; lest his sensitive skin helped him get a sunburn.

The king considered giving him up to Hyrule for Link's safety alone. Ganondorf didn’t really expect to have the best chance to raise Link into villainy. And like he told the Hyrulian King Daphne, he wasn’t too fond of himself turning evil either. Link would have a much better chance at survival in Castle Town.

Ganondorf watched Link open his eyes. He asked the nurse if all babies’ eyes were as big as Link’s. The babe must have imprinted on him already since he was giggling at Ganondorf's tan face and was grabbing at his red beard. Ganondorf thought, 'a baby as bright and bubbly as this has no place in my evil arms'. And with that thought came another: 'He should have had the world handed to him as soon as he gave out his first smile.' Then he questioned that thought.

How dastardly do you have to be to abandon a baby in the middle of a desert? And what does it say when Evil Incarnate wouldn't do the same thing?

‘It doesn’t matter now’ Ganondorf dismissed. ‘What matters now is how I will deal with this.’ He rocked the baby in his hold while he continued contemplating.

He technically was already dealing with it. He spent time, effort, and money having this place built to accommodate an infant Hylian. But this was temporary, right? He probably didn't have the ability to take care of a child at all. He had no plans of marrying or having children; he believed that one day he would simply be dethroned and a new chief would take his place until the next king emerged. But now that a kid was put into his arms, he thought maybe fate had brought it upon him.

Fate… yes… Perhaps he was meant to raise Link himself. Perhaps this meant something, like… a way to pay for his other incarnations. He hated the thought that he would have to pay for the acts of his predecessors, but…

Yes. He'll do it. He'll raise Link. With the love and care and comfort of a father, and the strength and will and rigor of a teacher. He'll bring Link up to be the Hero. Even if it meant Link would kill him, oddly, he didn't mind. As long as he may be released of his title as Evil Incarnate.

Sweetly, he hugged the blonde baby, declaring to the nurse: "I'll keep him here, I'll adopt him."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Baby Link is here to stay.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fast forward to the future where Link is very not into the idea of killing Ganondorf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was kind of stuck between skipping to adolescence or to teenage.

It's now 17 years later. Ganondorf hadn't thought about parenthood this far. He hadn't thought about his life this far, even. Now in his fifties, the Gerudo King had gotten word of how one of the girls was missing from the town. And with the sun getting ready to set, it would be getting more dangerous for her by the moment.

He sighed before calling for his adoptive son’s presence, with the extra request for him to be dressed in his going-out clothes. While he waited, he moved to another wall in his room where a large scimitar sat sheathed and mounted. It was definitely beautiful. With its golden guard adorned with a marquise cut topaz jewel in the center, and its hilt curved in small places to help one’s grip. The pommel curved and ended with another small topaz cut this time into a round shape. As simple as it was compared to many other swords Ganondorf had seen, he felt it was perfect for his son for the time being. Carefully, he took the sword down from its mount.

“You called me?” a soft voice behind him asked. Even with the slight hoarseness that accompanied it, many found said voice silvery and pleasant… if a bit small. Ganondorf turned full-bodied to meet who asked him.

Only his eyes showed. Big, blue, and feminine; covered with long blonde lashes. His beige hood and cape covered the rest of his person. “One of the girls has gone too far from the town,” Ganondorf informed.

“Oh no,” the young boy shook his head concernedly, “It isn’t Mika again is it?”

“It is.”

He sighed, “Mika’s always running off. She’s only eight, how does she have that much energy?”

“Well, you were the same way, Link,” Ganondorf chuckled before going back to a more serious note, “But that doesn’t matter now. I want you to go and find her.”

“Yes sir,” the boy—Link—obliged. “I’ll go right now. No time to waste—”

“One more thing.” Link raised his head to meet his father’s gaze. “Take this with you.” Ganondorf presented the scimitar to Link; to which the boy immediately denied.

He turned his head quickly with a fast rise and throw of his arms as he exclaimed “No.” The rest of his body followed his head as he made his way towards the door. “I’ll be fine without it.”

“Link,” Ganondorf demanded his son’s attention. “Stop thinking that it’s just you that I want you to protect behind a sword!”

“Just because you want me to use a sword to protect people doesn’t mean I want to fight!”

“This isn’t about fighting! Using a sword isn’t about that!”

“That’s what it will be about one day!”

“Link!” The boy was now leaving the room, Ganondorf following swiftly behind him. “Our fates in this world are sealed! You can't just deny what you must do!”

Link suddenly stopped and approached Ganondorf “So you expect me to kill the man who raised me and be fine with that? Move on after murdering my father?! HUH?!” While only his eyes were visible and his voice stayed soft, Ganondorf could still feel the hurt and anger from the boy.

He groaned then grappled Link’s large sleeve. His strength clearly overpowered the boy, who was now squirming violently. He forcefully hooked the scimitar to one of Link’s belts, demanding “You WILL bring this sword and USE it when needed!” Once hooked, he let go of him. “That’s final. Right now, WE are not fighting, WE will not fight truly until the time comes, whether you like it or not! Now, who you’re supposed to protect, which if you forgot is Mika, needs help. So stop fighting me, and go!”

With that, Link grunted and left. Ganondorf turned with a sigh. Of course, it wasn’t the first time they fought. But it was the first time they fought before one of them left into danger. ‘Go,’ the king lamented, ‘but come back to me in one piece.’

\---

It turned out, the 8-year-old Mika was not that far from the town. Yes far enough away that the guards would not see her, but she was actually near the ice house. When Link found her, he was very much vexed, since he spent the past hour looking for her. But his annoyance subsided once he saw what was actually wrong.

Mika’s red hair was disheveled, she was crying and bruised, clenching a small blade in defense. “Hellooo?” her shaky voice called into the cellar of the ice house. “Can-Can someone help me-e-e?”

Link pulled down his hood as he rushed over to the girl. “Mika?! What happened to you?!”

Mika swiveled sharply at the sound of his voice, running to him for comfort. “Link! I got hurt by the big liz-lizards!” the bawled. Link hugged her as she cried. “I fough-fought the-em off, bu-hut, everything hu-hur-hur-hurts!!”

“Oh, it’ll be okay, Mika, don’t worry!” Link petted her hair. It was night now, and she was shivering. “Let’s go home, okay? Hey, hey, don’t cry! Why don’t you tell me what you saw on your little trip today?”

Mika sniffed, trying to calm herself. She stared at the ground “Can-uh-can you—” as she pulled her gaze back up, she cut herself off with a scream, “MORE LIZARDS!”

Link was immediately on guard. He grabbed onto Mika then switched his attention to behind him, where two electric lizalfos were quickly closing the distance between them. Link jumped backward and unsheathed his scimitar. But other than pointing his sword at the lizalfos, he didn’t dare to make another move.

Never in his life did he have to fight live enemies, or actually have to protect people. All of his training was admittedly half-assed on his part, he had to admit. So when these two extremely dangerous monsters had their sights on him and Mika, he felt himself quake. “Hey, stand behind me,” Link ordered tautly. He let go of Mika, who stayed a considerable distance away from the battle. “Listen to me, if I don’t make it, I need you to run straight to the town, you hear me, Mika?”

“Uh-huh,” Mika obliged.

Link kept inching back when he felt that the lizalfos were getting too close. He wondered how dangerous it was to have a metal weapon to fight against electricity. But his thoughts were quickly interrupted by a lengthy tongue extending at him. ‘Okay,’ he shuddered, ‘I guess this is happening’.

Without giving himself the chance to convince himself otherwise, Link sprinted towards the first lizalfos. He swung at it, barely hitting it. He thrusted next and got a better hit on the monster. And luckily the sword was sharp enough to do some considerable damage to it. But the small victory was cut short when the lizalfos swiped its tail, hitting Link’s feet and causing him to fall backward. He got up as quickly as he could, then stabbed the lizalfos once more, killing it.

While pulling out the sword from the dead creature, its friend had charged up and unleashed a field of electricity, capturing Link within. He felt the volts coursing through him, and he could barely hear Mika calling his name. Once his senses came back around, he could feel his heart pounding in his chest. He was weak. But he still had enough strength to charge at the remaining lizalfos. And with one strong swipe, he was able to behead the lizalfos.

He watched the body fall to the side. Link heaved a huge sigh of relief before dropping to his knees. Mika ran up to him as he sat there panting.

“Link—”

“I’m okay! I’m okay!” he raised a hand in reassurance. His legs felt brittle under the rest of his weight, but he managed to stand. “Let’s just… we should go back home.” 

“Okay, Link.” Mika held onto his cape. “Uhm, but… can you sing me the song?”

He sighed, “You know that I can’t heal this much, Mika. It’s only meant for small injuries—”

“Please?” Mika pleaded. “I know it won’t do much, but it still makes me feel better…”

“Fine.” Link relented. He resheathed his sword and held out his left hand. When Mika grabbed hold of it, the symbol of the triforce glowed brightly on the back of his hand. As they walked back to the town, Link hummed comforting tones. Something that could ease the body, and the mind, and even the spirit.

All the way to town, he hummed the Song of Healing to comfort both Mika and himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've always wanted Link to sing. Ocarina voice having az.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The days after Link's encounter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I want to write much longer chapters for now. Y'all wouldn't mind that, would you? Also, I spent a few days on this, mainly due to proof reading.

Link woke up slowly. His body ached but wasn't pained enough to stop him from moving. He rose from his place on a canopy bed and took in his surroundings.

There was a pale bookcase that took up the whole middle of the wall on his right—decorated with a colorful array of books. On either side, there were wall shelves lined with desert plants (mainly of the succulent variety). But on the right of the bookcase sat a dark wooden desk with something on it.

On Link's left, the embroidered red curtains to a window were closed, presumably to keep the afternoon sunlight from waking him. He remembered this place as his bedroom.

He sighed and slipped out of what he recognized as his own bed. It was when his bare feet felt the texture of a rug when he realized he was naked—save for his trousers. He rubbed his sore shoulders while staring into his vanity mirror, which sat on the left of the window.

Even his headband was removed. Goodness, did he look like a mess. His mussed hair covered his shoulders and his already tanned eyelids were made darker with bags. Link searched on the vanity surface with his hands (eyes glued on his reflection) for a new headband to keep his hair out of his face, but to no avail.

Instead, he turned his attention to his desk on the other side of the bedroom. Dragging his feet, he caught sight of a little wicker basket full of fruits. Attached to the basket was a note with messy writing. Link pulled the note close to his face and read aloud:

"Sarqso for saving me. I yused all my money to bye you frut. Your sister, Mika." 

He chuckled at Mika's chicken-scratch letters and misspellings. The basket's fruits were voltfruits and hydromelon slices. Before leaving his room to eat something (whether it be breakfast or lunch), he pulled out a pen, paper, and ink to write back a thank-you note.

"Any time, dear. But please be more careful next time! You scared me half to death when I saw you hurt. And sarqso for the fruits. I promise to eat all of them. Your brother, Link.”

With that, Link dressed back up in concealing clothes and left his bedroom with the note. A nearby guard spotted him and paced towards him. “Sav’aaq, Master Link,” she greeted, “King Ganondorf is waiting for you. If you’re hungry, I can tell him where you are for you."

"Sarqso," replied Link with a smile. "Oh and, please can you get this letter to Mika?"

"Yes, sir."

"Sarqso."

…

Link sat at the entrance to the training grounds, making sure that he didn't block the way. His mask was pulled down to his chin to eat; which was one of the few times one would be able to fully see his face. A hearty meal sat almost finished in his lap as he watched the guards spar. "Link," called the Captain— Tulna— from her spot a few paces in front of him, "I heard you actually fought yesterday."

"I did; got my ass kicked too," Link shivered then finished up eating quickly. "It was terrifying. How do you all do it?"

"Dear Hylia, how are you in possession of the Triforce of courage?" Tulna groaned. "We do it because we must. This desert is dangerous, and without those like us guards, us warriors, willing to protect it, our town would be destroyed by monsters like the ones you fought yesterday."

The shorter boy gifted the captain a dopey grin. "You're all so admirable. Hopefully, I could be like you one day."

"Well, why not start your journey to admirability today? Get up and grab a sword, let's fight." Tulna was blunt in her invite. Link never knew how he felt about bluntness. He wondered how he felt about the use of it here for a split second, then moved to the more pressing issue.

"Sword?" He grumbled, eyebrows raised, "I struggled with that sword Father gave me yesterday. Why not give me something like… a bow?"

"Really? Mika told us you held that scimitar quite well actually. You never let go of it, even when you were electrocuted."

"Out of fear!"

Tulna laughed, "You don't simply hold on to an electrified metal weapon out of fear! But enough stalling, Link. Go and grab a sword." She gestured to a heap of weaponry that sat in a corner behind her.

Link groaned loudly and pulled back up his mask. There was no getting out of this. He took one of the short scimitars from the stash. These ones were a bit more flashy than the one Link was gifted; their guards, in particular, were carved into intricate designs. 'Maybe this would be easier than yesterday,' he thought to ease his nerves, 'Yesterday, I was covered up too much and weighed down. Maybe now, with a little fewer clothes, it'll be easier to move. Yeah.'

"Ready, Link?" Tulna asked.

"Yes—" immediately Tulna charged at Link with a thrust, which Link parried on instinct. Almost disarming Tulna, he took the opportunity to increase the gap between each other, pushing the captain by the shoulder. He chuckled wearily "hehe, it felt like you were aiming for my gut there, Captain."

"Who says I wasn't? The only way to make you take a fight seriously is to put you in serious danger. And stop going on the defensive! You need to start engaging in the battle!"

"Tulnaaa!"

"And stop whining!" Tulna charged again at him, this time swiping at his neck, and again receiving another parry from Link. He jumped to her left to get out of her way. She turned and tried once more, this time actually cutting Link's arm. Possibly a bit too deep.

'Ooooh Goddess, please,' he prayed quickly, 'If I can just disarm her, everything will be—' his thoughts were cut off when Tulna's sword was able to catch his cheek, slashing it open.

"I'll tell you this one more time, Link. Engage!"

Tulna brought down her sword. Link blocked her with the side of his. Perhaps it was the blood loss, or his incessant want for this all to end. But he roared a mighty "FINE" at her before getting out from under her striking zone.

This time, he charged towards her, but did not bear his weapon. Tulna raised her sword, again ready to strike. Once Link noticed the sword coming towards him, he quickly swiped at the sword guard with all his strength. While he did manage to disarm Tulna, he accidentally let go of his own sword in the process. Now barehanded, he, with his considerably smaller frame, managed to push Tulna down with the force of his hand and body weight. Almost letting her hit her head on the ground.

"Well!" Tulna exclaimed, impressed. "Alright then, little voe!" Link got off of her and helped her up. "You need some strong convincing, but you can definitely fight well. But maybe you are right about that grip thing…"

"Sarqso…" Link muttered. He turned around and dragged himself to the fallen swords. He picked up both of them in different hands, handing Tulna her bloodied sword and putting his back in the stash. The pain on his arm was growing, but he felt more disheartened from it than panicked. Looking down at it, he finally noticed how much blood he already lost.

"Here, let's go get you patched up quick," Tulna urged. She pulled Link back inside.

On the way, they met Ganondorf, who was about to come and visit Link outside in the training grounds. But was now in the infirmary watching his adoptive son have bandages wrapped around the cleaned-up deep wound on his arm, his sleeve pushed up. Ganondorf sat slouched on a chair adjacent to where Link was sitting—on a pillowed extension to the wall which acted as a lounge. The nurse who was wrapping the bandages finished and informed the two that the cheek wound was fine enough to not need the same treatment as his arm. Then she excused herself from the room.

"You see? I told you you'd need your sword yesterday," Ganondorf said with a grin.

"I could have run away from them," Link retorted with his eyes on his bandaged arm. He switched his attention to his father's unamused face. "Fine!" He scoffed, "I needed the sword, you were right!"

“If you chose to learn how to use it properly, you wouldn’t have been injured as badly as you were.”

“Hmph. Wasn't hurt THAT badly...” Link crossed his arms carefully.

“Nonetheless, I’m glad you’re okay, as well as Mika.”

“How is she doing, by the way? She was hurt badly yesterday, a lot more than me.”

“We got her all patched up, so don’t worry too much over her."

Link nodded in relief. "Well, other than that, was there something else you needed from me?"

Ganondorf straightened himself up. "Right! You've never left the desert, haven't you? I kept you away from central Hyrule so, well—"

"I wouldn't be taken away from you?" Link interrupted.

"Yes. It sounds bad, but hopefully, you could understand."

"No, I understand, I was abandoned, and…" The boy trailed off for a moment. "Ehrm, uh. You were kind enough to take care of me." He looked away from his father.

The king softened, "Link… It's okay to be upset over being left. But, let's get back on topic for now." Link nodded sadly. "Well, I was wondering if you would like to go to Castle Town on your own. I was planning on handing a letter to King Daphne. But maybe he'd like to see someone other than me, considering its contents."

"But wouldn't he recognize me as the Hero?"

"I would assume not—no. But if he does, then if you want to, you know how to run."

"If I want to?"

"I'm not going to deny that I'd rather you face your destiny. You must think, If I one day become evil and have to be destroyed, and no one is there to destroy me, what do you think will happen? How much do you think would be destroyed? But at the same time, I don't think pressuring you is the best course of action."

"I see… well, I don't mind."

Ganondorf was quite taken aback. "You don't have to, you know, are you sure?" Link nodded, now his eyes were trained earnestly on the king. "But you're so shy, I thought you'd say no!"

His son simply shrugged. "I know I'm shy, but I kind of want to travel. I'm a bit bored with all the sand. When do you want me to head out?"

It took a few moments for Ganondorf to gather himself. "You know you'll be alone, right? Are you okay with that?"

"I'm guessing it's because we usually travel alone? I'll be fine enough. As you said, if I get in any trouble, I know how to run."

"Well, if that's the case…" Ganondorf shuffled in discomfort. "Then in two days. Will that be enough time for you?"

"Yeah, I'll start packing tonight. Is something wrong?" Link stood up and started to take his leave; Ganondorf followed suit.

"I'm just— It's just parental worries. I didn't realize how fast this day would come." Ganondorf placed his large hand atop Link's head as a form of affection. When the boy shook his head, he let go and opened the door for both himself and Link to exit.

"If I'm being honest, Father, me neither," Link agreed.

…

And with that, the conversation is over. After dinner that night, Link retreated to his bedroom to start packing. By the next morning, he had almost everything he needed. And by evening, Ganondorf came in to gift him a Gerudo shield and golden bow, along with a dark green quiver which had his name embroidered on it.

It was at this time when Link had the silent realization at how many of his items were colored in this combination of green and gold. And to extension, he noticed topaz on his sword, shield, and bow. Ganondorf saw the confused look on his face before saying: "it's meant to protect you from getting too injured from electricity." Which made enough sense to him. He shrugged and set them aside his traveling pack, as well as his new scimitar.

Ganondorf also came to tell him how long he has to travel before he'd be searched for: a fortnight. It gave him enough time to soak in whatever scenery was on the way to Castle Town.

Before he fell asleep that night, Link made sure he had everything. To keep himself from being weighed down, he only packed 3 sets of clothes, including the set he would wear tomorrow when he headed off. And all of them were slightly different variations of Desert Voe gear. Of course, there was his outerwear, which covered all but the front of his legs and shoes, but he classified that as something he could wear every day, as long as he washed it. He wondered if he could possibly sacrifice his hygiene and wait until he found a clothing store to sell the other two sets for something new.

Other than clothes, he opted to take the fruit Mika gave him, a book he wanted to read, a journal, a pen, and ink. And obviously there were the items necessary when traveling such as a map, a compass, actual rations, toiletries, and a few hundred rupees. Link paused. He thought perhaps he should bring a few extra rupees down to the market to buy some pouches to hook onto his belt—so he could keep a few smaller items (such as his compass or rupees) on his sides and lessen the weight on his back. He was planning to stock up on arrows too anyway.

The next day was the day he'd be leaving. As he planned the night before, he left with Ganondorf to the market to pick up his final supplies. Mika found them, and when he told her about what he was doing that day, she gave Link a hug sav'orq. Once they were done in the market Ganondorf led his son to the entrance of Gerudo Town.

Near the entrance one may find men sparsely gathered around, trying to find their way inside. It was one of the many things Link simply could not wrap his head around. One time when he was around the outskirts and spotted one of the men, he asked what the infatuation was all about. The man, (who thought he was a woman due to his voice and inability to see his face) responded with something along the lines of "it was a town full of beautiful women." Ganondorf would usually scare these men away to the Kara Kara Bazaar with his intimidating presence and booming voice alone though.

This time the men just stood there. They were far enough away that they could run if anything were to happen. "They're here for a pretty stupid reason," Link commented.

Ganondorf agreed, "That they are."

"Gerudo Town is great, but they only care about the girls? What's so alluring about women?"

Ganondorf took interest in Link's question for a moment. But instead of pressing him about it, he replied, "Some men after here because they want to trade inside the town too, you know. Some may be here simply because they are not allowed inside."

"Asinine." Link responded dully.

The king coughed before letting out a guffaw. "Indeed! But you must admire them for their tenacity." Some of the men stepped back a bit, watching the king and this… much shorter girl talk about them.

"Must I?" Link sighed and walked forward a bit. He turned around. "Well, enough about them. So… this is where I head off."

Ganondorf's eyes held a look of sadness and worry as he stared down to his son. "It is. Be safe for me, okay? Please come back in one piece."

"I will, I promise." Even with his mask covering the lower half of his face, the king could still see Link's cheeks rise in a smile. That was all he needed to trust Link's word. "Sav'orq, Father."

"Sav'orq…"

Link left to the Kara Kara Bazaar. Ganondorf watched him disappear into the sands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always like to read your comments. Please share your opinions.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Zelda meets an interesting girl named Link.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leggy of Zeggy.

Zelda and her guard had just left the Rito Stable. They were heading home to recuperate from the long journey to and from the Rito Village. It was definitely a long trek, especially for only a princess and her guard.

"On the way, do you want to stop by that village again, Princess?" The red-haired guard asked as he climbed on top of his brown horse.

"I feel like we're pushing our time, Brennan," Zelda replied. She was already sat atop her own white horse. The sight of the princess mounted on a beautiful white horse, dressed in blue and grey garbs was one that those at the stable did their best to etch in their minds; it was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. "It is on the way, so we'll see. But I don't recommend taking too long." She gazed on to the road ahead of them. Her dark blue eyes were focused. She heard Brennan's horse trotting behind, then aside, then in front of her. Brennan turned to meet her eyes.

"Well then," the guard started, "shall we head off now?"

"Yes, let's go."

They were able to get to an approximate halfway point between the stable and the nearby village. Brennan eyed the yellow-orange skies and gauged the distance between their position and the village. The latter was in viewing distance at least. But…

He slowed his horse. "We should stop here for the night," he offered. But he still waited for Zelda's agreement. She slowed down too, but did not reply. Instead her eyes asked for a reason. "We won't make it before sunset. We might as well let our horses, and ourselves, rest before continuing." He then pointed to the nearby river. A few birch trees shaded the area. "We could set up camp right over there."

Zelda finally nodded. "Alright, let's go then."

As they neared the river, Brennan noticed that behind one of the trees was a hooded figure. It was crouched over the water, large-sleeved arms engulfed in it. He squinted and strained his neck to get a better look.

This figure must have been a person. They brought a handful of water to their face, seemingly drinking it. But their face couldn't be shown from the guard's position. Brennan moved his attention down from the person's face to their back, finding that they were armed.

"Stay here, Princess," he urged. Zelda obeyed, halting her horse. Brennan dismounted his own and grabbed hold of the hilt of his blade on his side—but not unsheathing it. As he walked towards the figure, the grass below his feet made enough noise to startle them.

They wiped their face quickly and pulled up what seemed to be a mask. They stood and turned around to meet Brennan. All he could see was the person's eyes. Big, cerulean, and sheltered in long blonde eyelashes. He could make out that the skin around their eyes was a light tan with light freckling. The person's eyes caught sight of the guard's hand on his sword. They crouched and raised their gloved hands in a form of surrender.

"Sav—Sav'saaba," the person stuttered. Their voice was soft, pleasant, almost flighty—even with the slight rasp. But that one word put off Brennan's expectations. "Is-is there something wrong? Please, I don't look for trouble." Their arms retreated to their sides, still raised. Brennan could hear the thick accent in this person's voice. A Gerudo? Compared with the accent and term they used… but they were very short for one. And assuming the light of evening wasn't playing a factor, blonde hair and blue eyes? Could those have been traits a Gerudo could have?

"You're in the presence of the princess, Zelda. I have come to tell you, since you carry weapons, that if you try something, I will not hesitate to kill you." Brennan's warning was straightforward. It was reasonable, if a bit brash. Brennan's piercing eyes beat into the person. The judgement shining through his glare.

The person saw it as it was: a threat. And they weren't going to put their life on the line by talking back. They turned their gaze to the ground as they lowered their arms. "Uh, alright," they obliged quietly.

"Who is it, Brennan?!" Zelda called from her horse.

Brennan considered the short person. They were even smaller than him—possibly around the princess's height. He considered what to say for a moment. "I think they are a Gerudo," he answered. "A very short, covered Gerudo." Brennan sighed and gestured for her that it was safe to come over. "It's fine to set up camp here."

The person felt a bit of offence from this "Brennan's" lack of care towards them. But they kept quiet. As the princess's form met their line of sight, they turned their face, pushing off their weapons. They leaned them against the tree behind them, where their bag sat as well.

Zelda dismounted her horse, her guard's horse followed her to the river. Brennan left the person's side, which was almost immediately occupied by the princess. "Good evening, Miss!" She greeted, crouching down. 

"Sav'saaba, your Highness," they replied, still not meeting the princess eye-to-eye. They crossed their arms and raised their shoulders.

"May I have your name? I hope you don't mind, but it seems we may be spending the night together. Might as well get to know each other." Zelda kept her distance enough, but it still felt suffocating to the person.

"Link," they whispered, curling in on themselves more. "My name is Link…"

"What a nice name, Link. What brings you all the way from Gerudo Town? Trade? Travel?"

"I'm just… delivering a letter."

"Oh? That's interesting. Are you training to be a postwoman? Forgive me, I've never heard of a Gerudo postwoman, but, I'm sure there are plenty."

"I'm not, it's just a letter. It was a request from someone important to me."

"I see." Zelda leaned in a bit, taking in Link's stature. She was short for a Gerudo. She wondered if it was appropriate to ask about her height. Link did seem reserved, maybe she'd get upset if it was brought up. "Well, where are you delivering it?"

Link pondered for a moment, thinking if it was okay to tell her. 'She IS the princess…' she thought. "I'm delivering it to the King."

"Oh! Must be really important then. You don't have to tell me more, I'll find out in due time." Zelda pulled back with a nod. She could see Link uncoil herself with a sigh of relief. "Forgive me, dear Link, I've just… I don't know much about the Gerudos. I mean I do, I read about them. But I've never been allowed near Gerudo Town. And I'm a very hands-on girl. I'd like to experience things myself. The only contact with Gerudos are the ones I see in Castle Town, or on the road… So I'm really curious whenever I meet one."

Link finally looked at her. Her gloved hands sat at her sides. "It's nice there," she assured. "Maybe one day you'll be allowed to go."

The princess smiled, "I think that day might come soon. I've been traveling to all the major cities recently, as a form of diplomacy, you see. I think I'll be going to Gerudo Town next. But it's all up to my father."

"I think I know why."

"Oh, I apologise, we mean no harm, it's just. My father is weary! Since I’m in possession of the Triforce of wisdom, he thinks King Ganondorf may try to hurt me…"

Link stayed quiet. She turned her gaze to the river for a few moments, shuffled to her bag, then reached for her sword. Zelda tensed, worried that she said something wrong. If anything, Brennan would come and protect her. Which seemed to be the case. The guard noticed Link reach for her sword and immediately came rushing over, his own blade drawn.

"Hey!" He yelled.

But instead of unsheathing her sword to fight, Link presented it to Zelda. "He gave me this a few days ago," She spoke softly. "King Ganondorf is my father. He adopted me."

With that, the princess felt relieved. Brennan slowed down, hearing what Link said. Zelda raised her hand to touch the leather sheath. Forest green, embroidered in decorative patterns, lined in brown. Her eyes wandered up to the golden guard. She thumbed the marquis-cut gemstone before exhaling, "Is that so?" Link set the sword in her hands so she could get a better look at it. "It's beautiful. Is this a scimitar?" She asked, carefully unsheathing it.

"Yes, I don't really want to use it, though," Link chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of her hooded neck. "I like bows much better." Zelda looked back up to Link, who was pointing to her golden bow.

"If I may ask, why did King Ganondorf adopt you?"

Link's arm fell on her lap as she hummed. "You may have thought, and as your guard put it so elegantly, that I'm short." She turned around, noticing Brennan's presence. He might as well watch. The tents were set up, and he won't need to start a campfire just yet. "That's because I'm not actually a Gerudo. I'm a Hylian. When I was but a baby, I was abandoned at the Bazaar. A Gerudo found me and took me to my father. Long-story-short, he decided that it'd be best to raise me himself."

"That’s very sweet of him!" Zelda said affectionately. She slid the sword back into its sheath and handed back to Link. She was startled by Brennan's voice, as she hadn't realized him behind her yet.

"If you're a Hylian why didn't he think it best to give you to a Hylian family?" The guard asked.

Link shrugged. "He had plenty of reasons. Pretty complicated reasons too, I can't remember all the details. But the main reason, he told me, was that I was like the perfect gift." Even behind the mask, Zelda could see Link grin. And that small crinkling of her eyes were contagious. She felt her own cheeks rise in a smile as Link continued. "He said that being given a child, whether it be your own or not, was a gift to be treasured with your life."

"My father felt the same way about me." Zelda scooted closer to Link. "Hey, I like you! Let's be friends, right? Two princesses! Friends in nobility, Sisters in royalty—"

"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, Your Highness!" Link interrupted her, raising both of her hands in defence. "I'm not a princess! I don't hold any real power. I may be the King's s— daughter, but neither of us think it's a good idea for me to be the heir—ess. Heiress."

Zelda pulled back. Link wondered what the look in her wide eyes portrayed; was it surprise or bewilderment? "Oh," the princess responded, hushed.

"You know, me being a Hylian and all. It doesn't make too much sense." Link slouched and turned her attention to the river once more. "You still seem nice, so if your offer of friendship still stands… I'll oblige."

With that, thin arms were wrapped around Link's shoulders. "Do you hear that, Brennan? A new friend! And a very interesting one at that. When we get to Castle Town you'll let me treat you to a fine meal, will you, Link?"

Link was dumbfounded by the sudden display of affection. Of course she's been hugged before. By kids, by adults, the guards and even her father. But by strangers? Was this just a thing? But they weren't strangers anymore it seemed. Within 5 minutes she was talked into befriending the Princess of Hyrule.

"U-uh," the hooded Hylian stammered. "As long as you let me return the favor whenever you visit Gerudo Town.”

Zelda pulled back, her face beaming. "Deal!" She exclaimed.

Brennan lost interest at this point. He turned back to the campsite where his and Zelda's tents sat. The firewood he gathered sat waiting to be lit. "I'll go start the fire, Princess. After that, I'll go hunt for something to eat."

With a twinkle in her eyes, the princess asked, "you'll be hunting for Link to, will you?"

The guard waved. "If it makes you happy," he dismissed. He disappeared from the girls' sights

"Yes! Well, you're stuck with us! Lucky that we're going to the same place too." Zelda stood and pranced back to the campsite. Link picked her things up and followed behind. "If you have a tent, you can set it up right over there." She pointed to the empty spot on the left of the campfire, adjacent to a tent she claimed to be Brennan's.

The time Link spent setting up her tent was quiet. Trying to pull out the needed materials, she accidentally let books fall out of her bag as well. Zelda set one of them aside so it wouldn't be in the way, the other, she recognized as a journal. She'd feel rude just reading it. What if it was a diary? Link turned around to find where the books went. Seeing the journal in Zelda's hands, she shrugged.

"It's mainly blank," Link assured and turned back around, "I wanted to write musical scores in them. I only have one song in it though."

"May I see it?"

"Go ahead. It's not my song."

Zelda opened the journal, reading the mix between cursive and print writing. 'Song of Healing' was written at the top of the page. Below it noted 'found in the Yiga hideout'.

"You went to the Yiga hideout?!"

"Not me! I'm too much of a coward for that!" Link giggled at the thought of her running headfirst into danger. "Some spies came back and handed this tablet to me, and I wrote down the notes."

"Do you play an instrument, or—"

"I sing. Though only to kids. I get nervous around anyone else."

"I'd love to hear you sing."

"One day, sure."

The tent was finished by nightfall. But the sound of a strained snort caught both Zelda and Link's attention. It was far away enough to not notice them right away, but there stood an armed black bokoblin sniffing and searching around.

"What the fuck is that," Link deadpanned.

"You've never seen a bokoblin before? That one's really dangerous in particular." Zelda's voice was hushed. She readied herself to retreat to her tent if needed.

Link slowly grabbed her bow and nocked a lightning arrow in place. But she didn't draw just yet.

"What are you doing?" The princess asked.

"If it comes closer, I'll shoot it in the head."

"That thing's strong! If anything, we'll call for Brennan. We're too weak to handle that thing."

Link scoffed. She watched the creature stalk across the road in front of them. It took a moment, but the bokoblin noticed the two, rushing towards it with the largest weapon Link had ever seen. She finally drew her bow. Without a second to double check her aim, she loosed the lightning arrow . The crackling from the front of the arrow was made louder once it made contact with the bokoblins head, severely stunning it.

"How many y’ think 'll need ‘fore it dies?" Link stammered quickly. Through jumbled words, she hoped Zelda would understand what she meant.

"Uh! I think… maybe five?" Zelda huffed.

Link nocked another arrow, but the bokoblin gathered back its senses and rushed towards her. She dropped the bow, opting to stab the beast in its eye with the lightning arrow. 

Zelda called for Brennan, but he wouldn't be fast enough. The half-blinded bokoblin swung its club-like weapon, slamming it against Link’s torso, sending her flying.

She was thrown into the river, her head hitting an underwater rock.

Zelda screamed. The bokoblin turned its attention to her, and the princess scrambled to grab Link's sword. She was terrified. But she needed to fight. Brennan was coming, but what if he was too late?

She held onto the scimitar haphazardly before driving it into the creature's chest. Out of fear and adrenaline, she yanked the sword out and repeated, not letting the creature regain its composure. It only took a few more stabs before it was dead. 

The bokoblin disappeared in a puff of violet smoke. Zelda was left sobbing and panting as she dropped the bloody scimitar. 

"Princess!" Brennan called from afar. When Zelda turned around to look at him. The fire illuminated her face, revealing the blotches of monster blood on her cheek and temple.

"Link," she started. "Link fell in the river! Go get her! Please!"

Brennan rushed as fast as he could. As dark as it was now, he was able to make out the silhouette of Link's cape. He pulled her out and dragged her limp body back to the campsite. She was knocked out cold. There, Zelda helped him remove her belts, noticing her mask was nowhere to be seen. After the last one was taken off, Brennan heaved the sopping cape-hoodie combo off of… her.

Once she was laid down on her back, both Brennan and Zelda were dumbfounded. The fire gave them enough light to see that under Link's outerwear…

Was the body of a man.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter, Link's appearance with finally be revealed.

**Author's Note:**

> Hit cuckoos


End file.
